In the United States, the Sadie Hawkins dance (also known as a Morp, Girls Treat, Girl Break, Vice-Versa, Turnabout, TWIRP, or a Tolo) is a school dance, usually occurring in high schools, in which female students invite male students. This is in opposition of normal school dance traditions, such as prom, where male students invite female students. Traditionally, the Sadie Hawkins dance occurs during the autumn in November, or in some places January or February. The Sadie Hawkins dance is one of three dances that many high schools hold, the other two dances being Prom and homecoming. Some schools simply hold regular dances in which certain songs are "Snowball" or "Sadie Hawkins" songs in which girls choose whom to dance with. The Sadie Hawkins dance is named after the Li'l Abner comic strip character Sadie Hawkins. November 13 was Sadie Hawkins day, when the unmarried women of Dogpatch got to chase the bachelors and marry the ones they caught. In America this caught on quickly and evolved into a dance where the women got to invite a man of their choice. In some parts of the U.S., the Sadie Hawkins dance is referred to as a Tolo, a name derived from the Chinook Jargon word meaning to earn or win. Sadie Hawkins is also referred to as the snow ball, Snowball, "Winter Formal" or "Winterfest", a reference to its occurrence in the winter months. In Latter-day Saint Culture, one girl's choice dance is known as "Preference". In the Illinois area, the name Turnabout or King of Hearts is used. Also Morp is another named used. It is backwards for "prom". Another name used is TWIRP, which is an acronym for The Woman Is Required to Pay. In some parts of the United States, the Sadie Hawkins Dance is called the "Sweetheart Swirl". Also in some central parts of the USA it is known as a WPA which stands for Women Pay All.
Other meanings of a "snowball"
Some schools have songs in which are dubbed 'snowballs'. Also known as "speed dancing" (because of its similarities to speed dating) snowballs are when the DJ picks two people to start dancing (usually slow). Periodically the DJ shouts "snowball", signaling that now the dancers must find new partners, thus increasing the number on the floor. By the end of the song, most all the people at the dance are on the dancefloor. This is slightly different from a Sadie Hawkins Dance/Song because boys and girls can pick their partners. It is typically used by DJs to get the dancing started, as school dances can be notoriously slow to start. In some areas, people chosen to dance cannot refuse, thereby ensuring people get onto the dance floor, and thus the "snowball" gains momentum and grows.
References in popular culture
On the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled "I Only Have Eyes for You", the story line revolves around a Sadie Hawkins dance in 1998 and flashbacks to a Sadie Hawkins dance in 1955. The book High School Musical Stories From East High #2: Wildcat Spirit is themed around the Sadie Hawkins dance, during East High Spirit Week. On the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled "The Game", Data tells Wesley Crusher of his experience at a Sadie Hawkins dance at Starfleet Academy, and Wesley tells Data it's still held every year. On the episode of the Nickelodeon animated series My Life as a Teenage Robot entitled "Dancing with my Shell", the lead character, XJ-9 (also known as Jenny Wakeman), goes to the school Sadie Hawkins Dance with another robot known as the Silver Shell, only to have the day end in disarray. Rock band Relient K has a popular song called Sadie Hawkins Dance. A 2003 episode of the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire focused on a Sadie Hawkins Dance. Al Capp Enterprises unsuccessfully sued Disney over the unauthorized use of the "Sadie Hawkins" trademark. [1] In an episode of Boy Meets World there is also a Sadie Hawkins dance. Plot point in X-Men: Evolution episode 26, Shadow Dance. During the The War at Home episode "Kenny Doesn't Live Here Anymore", a protest is held at the local high school because gay students are excluded from the school's Sadie Hawkins dance.
See also
- Prom, a popular high school dance
- Homecoming, another popular high school dance
- Sadie Hawkins Day, an annual event in comic strip Li'l Abner
- Powder Puff, an annual high school football game pitting girls against girls
- Leap year, for traditions on women proposing marriage
